Monitoring Desk
BARCELONA: Who says you need to wait till you’re older to start thinking about ageing well?
It’s never to early to start implementing longevity-boosting habits into your daily routine.
From subtly switching up your diet to making sure you’re getting more bang for your buck when you do work out, experts have shared simple things you can start doing in your 20s and 30s in order to live longer.
Even something as easy as wearing sun cream daily could help you live longer, they longevity experts argued.
Here are five simple habits you can pick you now that could see you living to the ripe old age of 100.
1. Eat your way to a long life
It’s not the first time a Mediterranean diet has been touted for its health benefits. Laden with fruits, veg, olive oil and fish, following this diet could add years to your life, a 20-year study conducted by researchers at the University of Barcelona suggested.
Meanwhile, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital also found that sticking to a Mediterranean diet can boost longevity, as it features antioxidant ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties.
Registered dietitian Clare Thornton-Wood sided with this research too.
Speaking to Business Insider, she called this famed diet “one of the best eating patterns to consider from a longevity and anti-ageing perspective”.
Remember the five workout pillars
It’s easy to start moving less as we age, but implementing the habit of working out consistently in your 20s and 30s could set you up for life.
Whatever your age, personal trainer and sports scientist Luke Worthington told Insider that about five ‘fitness pillars’ we’d all do well to remember to get the most out of our exercise:
1. Strength
2. Cardiovascular fitness
3. Mobility
4. Body composition
5. Emotional well-being
Put your heart health first
Preventative cardiologist Dr Nicole Harkin also weighed into what habits we can implement earlier in our life to live longer.
She explained: “The choices and lifestyle habits you develop now can make a big impact on your heart health in the future.
“In particular, if you have a strong family history of heart disease, it’s important to lay the foundation for a proactive heart health plan now.”
Cardiovascular disease – which affects the heart or blood vessels – is one of the the main causes of death and disability in the UK, but it can often largely be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle, the NHS said.
Take care of your skin
Something as small as putting on sun cream daily – and especially on sunny days – can go a long way in protecting you from skin cancer, which kills thousands of Brits yearly.
It was reported this year that melanoma cases had reached record highs in the UK and are expected to double again by 2040.
And though non-melanoma cancers – which include squamous and basal cell carcinoma – are considered less dangerous than melanoma, recent research has shown that non-melanomas now kill more people worldwide as they’re so common.
Board certified dermatologist, Dr Charles Puza recommended you slap on sun cream daily.
5. Protect your brain
Taking care of your brain can sound like no mean feat, but doing many of the activities already listed above can actually be super beneficial.
Dr Dale Bredesen, a neuroscience researcher at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California said improving brain health is tied to boosting the health of your whole body.
Your diet can play a large role, so he recommended eating lots of plants – especially cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale – and minimising your intake of ultra-processed foods.
Getting enough exercise and sleep can also give your brain a boost.
